NMSU’s Vazquez earns national award

Luis Vazquez, interim vice president of research for New Mexico State University, received a national award from the American Psychological Association. He received the Distinguished Career Contribution to Service award from Division 45 of the APA, which is the Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race.

The award was presented at the 125th APA Convention in Washington, D.C., in August.

Vazquez has been part of Division 45 of the APA since the early 1990s. He has served as president of the division and council representative in the past. He has also participated in mentorships with students, lobbying efforts and other leadership positions.

“I’ve always been involved with this division; it’s like home to me,” Vazquez said.

Vazquez is very passionate about the work Division 45 does, and said he felt very honored and surprised when he found out he had been selected for this award.

“You don’t get a Contribution to Service award unless you’re willing to pay it forward and willing to help those who usually don’t get help and usually don’t have a voice,” he said.

“To me, it’s quite an honor. I do things because I want to, not for the recognition, because I really don’t care about that,” he said. “What I do care about is what happens to those who come after me, what happens to those around me, and what happens to those who don’t have the same opportunities that I do.”